Air flow directing means for room air conditioners



P. B. MOORE A ril 4, 1950 AIR FLOW DIRECTING MEANS FOR ROOM AIR CONDITIONERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 19, 1946 EVAPORATOR.

(Ittomegs April 1950 P. B. MOORE 2,502,980

AIR FLOW DIRECTING MEANS'FOR ROOM AIR CONDITIONERS Filed Nov. 19, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Paul B.'Moorz Gttornegs Patented Apr. 4, 1950 AIR FLOW DIRECTING MEANS FOR ROOM AIR CONDITIONERS Paul B. Moore, York, Pa., assignor to York Corporation, York, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application November 19. 1946, Serial No. 710,817

1 Claim.

This invention relates to the construction and arrangement of that part of a unit air conditioner which draws air from the room or out-ofdoors or both, passes it over a refrigerative evaporator and delivers it to the room. The same arrangement is applicable without material change both to the so-called console type, in which the compressor and condenser are within the room and cooling air for the condenser is drawn in and discharged through ducts connected to a window board; and to the window sill type in which the compressor and condenser are outside the room, being mounted in a housing which projects through the window opening beneath the sash.

The invention offers a peculiarly compact arrangement in which the proportioning damper for fresh and recirculated air is readily accessible and of inexpensive simple construction; the air filter is similarly accessible and readily removable. The air discharged into the room is subject to directional control, both vertically and horizontally, and the directing means may be adjusted to throttle air-flow and thus increase the latent heat cooling effect (dehumidification of the air) while diminishing the removal of sensible heat.

The fan which circulates air to the room can be caused to draw air from the room and discharge it out of doors. This is effected by setting a damper mechanism, and the latter is so contrived that when set for pump out, as the operatiori is called, the switch which controls the conditioner will be set to run the room air circuit fan only.

The significant features of arrangement are the use of an inlet air chamber at the rear and to one side of the cabinet as the source of air for the fan. and the use of a plenum chamber across the front of the cabinet. The fan discharges into the plenum chamber, and under all except pump-out conditions, air discharges from the plenum chamber into the room.

The inlet air chamber has a return air inlet -at its top, a fresh air inlet at its back and at its side has a discharge opening leading to the evaporator coil and fan inlet. Since the two air inlets to this chamber are in faces at right angles to one another. it is possible to construct a very simple proportioning damper. is in a vertical wall, a filter can be inserted vertically through the top, actually at one side of the return air inlet opening. A hinged grille conceals all these mechanical features while permitting instant access.

The discharge grilles in the front of the plenum chamber are composed of adjustable louvers. They are mounted in two openings, each of which may be closed by hinged members which serve as combined doors and deflectors.

For pump-out purposes a hinged damper struc- Since the outlet ture may be swung to close both outlet openings and open a discharge through the back of the plenum chamber to out-of-doors. The damper is operatively related with the control switch so that the room air circuit fan is run and the compressor is shut down under pump-out conditions.

In the drawings, which show a commercial embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of that portion of a conditioner which includes the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the front, top and right-hand side of the housing with certain of the outlet doors open and others closed.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the damper mechanism and the filter.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the adjustable grilles.

As is usual in this art, the conditioner is constructed as a unit in a metal housing or cabinet. Over this is mounted an external shell or ornamental cabinet with openings for the recirculated air and the discharging air, and also an access opening for the switch which controls the motors. All grilles and doors are mounted in the external shell. All other parts are sustained by the metal housing. Gaskets are used to seal the external shell to the metal housing around the air discharge openings. The ornamental cabinet may be lifted and drawn forward to remove it.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the outer shell of the metal housing is indicated at 6 and is subdivided by several partitions 'l with openings whose form and location will be described.

The ornamental cabinet 8, here indicated as constructed of wood, has a front inclined in two planes (as best shown in Fig. 3). In this inclined portion are two identical air outlet openings 9, each with two doors II and Ill. The doors are hinged on their upper edges and may be set at various angles to serve as deflectors for directing issuing air at various angles to the vertical. In each opening 9 are sets of pivoted louvers [3, the louvers of each set being journaled in a corresponding frame l4 and adjustable in unison by a bar I 5 (see Fig. 5) to deflect issuing air laterally in either direction. The frames H are fixed in the openings 9 in the ornamental housing 8, and

(iii

are concealed by the doors II and I2 when the doors are closed.

Between the openings 9 is an opening it which gives access to switch actuator wheel IT. The switch, so far as here material, has three positions, a middle position marked Off in which all motors are shut down, a position marked Fan only in which only the room air circuit fan runs, and a position marked Cool in which the room air circuit fan and the refrigerating unit run. The switch is located in the upper portion of the plenum space within a casing l8 whose in terior is isolated from the plenum space. A door I9 closes opening l9.

Recirculated air enters through a grille 2i hinged at 22 to cabinet 9 and fitting an inlet opening formed to receive it. The housing 8 is sealed to shell 9 by gaskets 23 which encircle the openings 9 as shown in Fig. 2.

Beneath grille 2| is the inlet chamber 24. At the back is a fresh air inlet 25. A pair of opposed generally L-shaped channel guides 26 are mounted in chamber 24 and guide a flexible strip 21 which may be slid in the guides by using a finger grip 28 (see Figs. 2 and 4). The two arms of the L-shaped guides meet in an are as shown. The damper strip 21 is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 in position to close the fresh air inlet 25 and open wide the recirculated air inlet through grille 2!. As finger piece 28 is drawn forward the fresh air inlet 25 is opened and the recirculated air inlet is closed so that any relative proportioning of fresh and return air may be had.

At the left hand (inner) side of chamber 24 an opening leads through the partition and on the vertical edges of this opening are strips forming channel guides 29 into which an air filter 3| may he slid. To remove and replace a filter, grille 2| is swung up and the filter may then be lifted and lowered by the handle 32.

Air passing the filter flows in heat exchange contact with finned evaporator 33 and enters the eye of the impeller 34 of a fan. The impeller is rotated by an electric motor 35 controlled by switch wheel IT. The fan has a snail shell housing 36 whose contour is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to make clear the fact that the fan discharges into the plenum space 31, through the rear partition wall thereof.

This plenum space extends clear across the front of housing 6 and has an inclined top 38 with openings which register with openings 9 in cabinet 8. One of these openings is clearly shown at 39 in Fig. 2. Gasket 23 seats on the margin of this opening.

The space 4| in which motor 35 is located is open to outdoors through a portion of the condenser air circuit (not shown). In the rear wall of plenum space 31 at 42 (see Fig. 1) is an opening controlled by damper 43 and shown closed thereby in Fig. 1. Damper 43 and a similar damper 44 are fixed at their upper edges to a rock shaft 45 which extends the entire length of chamber 31 and turns in bearings 46.

When shaft 45 is turned to swing the dampers 43 and 44 forward and up they close the two outlet openings 39 (and so in effect close openings 9). At such time damper 43 opens a discharge from chamber 31 to out-of-doors. Thus, if damper 21 is in full recirculation position and dampers 43 and 44 are in the position Just stated, fan 34 will draw air from the room and discharge it out-ofdoors (pump out). It should be observed that while damper 43 selectively closes two openings (42 and the left hand opening 39) damper 44 controls only the right hand opening 39.

The dampers 43, 44 are operated in unison by a double throw linkage in chamber 24, and shown in Figs. 1 and 4. A lever 41 fulcrumed at 48 is connected by link 49 with damper 44. The lever 41 works in guide 5| and a coil tension spring 52 acts as a toggle spring to urge the lever to either limit of its motion, so that it sets the dampers 43, 44 in one or. the other of their extreme positions above described.

0n the shaft 53 of switch wheel I1 is a. crank 4 44. If the wheel I! is in either "01! position or Cool" position, damper 44 will strike crank 44 and turn the switch wheel to "Fan only" position, so that the fan 34 will operate but the compressor will not be uselessly operated during pump out.

The operation of the mechanisms has been explained as the description proceeded and need not be further elaborated except to emphasize one detail. The doors I l and I2 may be set to throttle out-flow and thus cause the air to pass more slowly in contact with the evaporator 33, The eflect of this is to increase the condensation of moisture from the air. This is useful at times when atmospheric humidity is high and temperature not excessively high, because the machine has a fixed output, and under the stated conditions it is desirable to intensify dehumidification even at the expense of sensible cooling.

The particular embodiment used to explain the principle of the invention is exemplary only and necessary limitation thereto is not implied.

What is claimed is:

In a unit air conditioner, the combination of an enclosing cabinet adapted to be mounted in the space to be conditioned and having a flow connection communicating with out-of-doors; means enclosing an air supply chamber within the cabinet said chamber having an inlet for recirculated air through which the interior of the chamber is accessible from the space to be conditioned, an inlet for fresh air communicating with said flow connection and an outlet; first damper means shiftable to close said inlets selectively and in variable complementary proportions; guides for sustaining a filter in position across said outlet; a filter insertible through said fresh air inlet into said guides; a motor-driven fan arranged to draw air through said outlet; means enclosing a plenum chamber within the cabinet in position to receive the discharge from said fan, said plenum chamber having two outlets, one leading to the room and the other to said connection to out-of-doors; second damper means shiftable between positions in which they close selectively the outlets from the plenum chamber; and independent actuating means, one for each of said damper means and both located within said air supply chamber and accessible through said inlet.

PAUL B. MOORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

